Device for making cigarettes



Feb. l1, 1936.

F. T. GRACEY DEVICE FOR MAKING CIGARETTES Filed Feb. 25, 1952 Patented Feb. 11, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 12 Claims.

My invention relates to cigarette making devices or appliances by which one may make his own cigarettes, of the general description of my Patent No. 650,833 issued June 5, 1900. (See also Patent No. 593,822 issued November 16, 1897.)

A satisfactory or acceptable device of this description requires the solution of problems that arise because the tobacco used in making the cigarettes is supplied by dealers in original packages or bags or pouches and also because of the personal niceties of individuals interested in the making or smoking of cigarettes thus made. Problems arising out of the use of tobacco supplied by dealers in bags or pouches are in connection with the feed or delivery of the tobacco from the bag or pouch and prevention of loss or waste of tobacco from the bag or pouch incidental to or following making the cigarette. Other problems to be solved are known to those who have made use of such devices. In making my present invention, I have taken account of the difficulties or problems to be solved which experience with such devices has revealed and have produce-d a device which in what I now consider its most perfected and best form removes or reduces to the minimum the disadvantages and objections to such a device in all relations that co-ncern it.

My invention consists in whatever is described by or is included within the terms or scope of the appended claims.

For some reasons there are those who prefer a device of the description embodying my invention which may be applied to or directly used 5 with the cigarette tobacco as supplied by dealers in the original package or pouch; to others that is not satisfactory but it is preferred to have one of my devices a part or something supplemental to or that is substituted for the original bag or pouch. In making my invention, I have given special consideration to these requirements, and it will be found that I have embodied my invention in forms suitable for or adapted to these diverse uses.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of an embodiment of my invention with the parts in position forming a cigarette, the dotted lines showing the position of the tube and the flexible funnel at the upper limit of the reciprocating movement of the tube;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of my invention in a dealer-sold bag or pouch;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of an embodiment which utilizes an attachment or part supplemental to the original bag or pouch and illustrating the parts when in a state or condition for carrying in the users pocket;

Fig.. 4 is a detail view in perspective of the parts adjacent the bag mouth;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

It will conduce to a ready understanding of the various details of the embodiments of my invention shown in the drawing to give a brief preliminary description thereof.

I attach to the mouth vof the tobacco-holding pouch or bag a straight tube upon which the cigarette paper is roller or placed and into and through which prepared tobacco, such as granulated to-bacco, is fed for delivery into the paper wrapper and which at the bag or pouch end is connected by a flexible-walled funnel shape guide Whose small end is attached to the tube end and whose large end is attached to the mouth end of the bag lor pouch, the guide or funnel having fiexible walls to allow longitudinal reciprocation of the tube towards and from the bag mouth to promote or cause the ow into and through the tube of the tobacco, in cooperation with a tobacco propeller, or feeder, situated within the tube and extending longitudinally therethrough, andrelative to which the tube is moved. As will appear from the detailed description following hereinafter, I so attach the flexible-walled funnel or guide that the minimum extension thereof into the bag or pouch in a reciprocating movement is secured in order to interfere to the minimum with the outflow of tobacco, and the means and manner of'support of the feederat the mouth end of the bag result in the minimum obstruction therefrom to the outiiow of tobacco through the tube, and I provide means within the bag or pouch, at the mouth end thereof, which will eliminate obstruction to tobacco flow froml unavoidable wrinkling of the cloth walls of the bag, or pouch, and ravelled threads from such walls. .And besides these important advantages,v the bag or pouch at the mouth end is free from obstacles due to the construction and arrangement of the parts that interfere with the bending or folding of the bag or pouch as close as possible to the mouth end to enable the rigid tube to be folded over upon one side of the bag or pouch in order to reduce the whole affair to the minimum. bulk for carrying in the pocket, and cut off tobacco outflow.

The tobacco in the original bags or pouches is tightly packed or compressed therein in order to reduce the bulk as much as possible for convenient carrying and handling. When my cigarettemaking device is applied directly to such a bag, this precludes turning over the rigid tube upon one of the sides of the bag or pouch until considerable of the tobacco has been used up so as to render the bag walls flexible enough for bending adjacent the place of attachment of my device. This situation ma-y be taken care of by providing a special bag or pouch equipped with my device of a capacity to receive the entire contents of the original bag or pouch, the latter being emptied thereinto and then vthrown away. It may also be taken care of by the provision, with one of my cigarette-making devices attached thereto at one end, of a part serving as a neck-like attachment to the mouth end of the original bag, or pouch, with side walls made of cloth or flexible material, which will permit the bending or turning over of the rigid tube against one side of the original bag or pouch.

As it is unavoidable after a cigarette-making operation, that some tobacco will remain in the rigid tube which for one reason or another may not readily be replaced in the bag or pouch, I provide means for making that vreplacement unnecessary Vand yet prevent the waste or loss from the tube of any retained tobacco, to the end that waste or loss of tobacco may be prevented.

Referring in particular to Figs. 1 and 4, I attach to the mouth of the bag or pouch III, a collar II, which may be of wood, the means of attachment including an annular groove IZ, at the mouth end of the collar, themain or substantial portion of the collar thus protruding outside of the bag. The mouth of the bag is contracted to an opening, the edge of which is tightly seated in the annular groove I2, so as to make a tight joint, and this can be accomplished in various ways as for example by means of a drawer-string, as in the case of an original package or bag, or by cementing or gluing, as in the case of the supplemental bag or the neck-forming tube. It will be seen that the end of the collar I I, at the bag mouth extends therein to a very slight degree. From such end of the collar a flaring funnel-like shield I3 extends upward within the bag in all directions and preferably clear to the inside wallsY of the bag. Said shield is preferably but not necessarily Vof some flexible material such as rubber which has a smooth upper surface in contact with which the tobacco rests, and it is of oval oroblong form so that it fully overlies the cloth shoulders of the bag and thus covers any unavoidable wrinkles or ravellings or loose ends with which the tobacco otherwise would lie in contact and thereby be retained or obstructed in its flow to the outlet. Such outlet is provided through the neck II, to the rigid straight tube I4 on which the cigarette wrapper is put and which at its end within the collar I I, receives the outilowing tobacco, all as hereinafter more fully described.

As shown in Fig. 1, the shield, or protector, and funnel, I3, and the cloth of the bag II), which it overlies, are glued, or cemented, together, andthe inner, collar-engaging edges of both are glued or cemented against the upper side of the annular groove I2, leaving below them space for the inner edge of a dished ring, I5, preferably of rubber, which overlies the contiguous outer surface of the bag shoulders and which may be glued or cemented thereto as well as glued or cemented in the annular groove I2.

It will be seen that I thus provide a smooth guide, funnel-like surface, for the tobacco adjacent the mouth of the bag and at the same time Yrically across the collar II, would cause.

radial arm, 2B.

provide a flexible connection of the collar and tube therewith which permits folding over or bending of the bag adjacent the mouth for turning over on one of the sides of the bag the collar II and the tube I4.

The collar I I at its lower or outermost end has a central hole which snugly and slida-bly fits the adjacent end portion of the tube I4 which within the collar II has an outturned flange I6, of greater diameter than said hole which constitutes a stop for the outward movement of the tube I4 and affords means for the easy and tight connection of the outer smaller end of a flexible-walled funnel I1, whose larger upper end is carried over the edge of the collar II adjacent the annular groove I2, and suitably secured to the collar, as

by glue or cement, and similarly secured to the adjacent surface of the combined protector and funnel I3.l The interior of the collar, II, consists of a conical chamber I8, in which the flexiblewalled funnel Il is situated which flares outward conical extension of the funnel is projected into the bag and thus any pushing of tobacco away from the mouth is avoided so that at all times, the funnel walls are in a condition to contribute to or to promote the outward flow of tobacco.

Extending into the tube I4 and throughout substantially the entire length thereof is a feeder in the form of a straight toothed rod or bar I9 relative to which the tube reciprocates, and which, by the engagement of its teeth with the tobacco in the tube prevents the backward movement of the tobacco with the tube when moved towards l the bag mouth and causes the progressive outward movement o-f the tobacco through the tube during the reciprocation of the tube. Said feeder rod I9, is stationarily supported relative to the tube I4 by being connected with the collar II, as by means o=f a light, small, laterally extending arm 20, readily made of a piece of wire, which extends from one side of the collar II at its 4end within the mouth radially across to the feeder vrod I9 at the center, but not beyond the latter and thus avoiding the presence of any obstruction to the flow of tobacco into the exible funnel I1 which the extension of the arm 20 diamet- This shortening of the arm 20, is alsoy of importance in that on the upward or inward stroke of the tubev I4, tobacco lying between the end of the tube I4 and the feeder rod support, would obstruct and limit movement of tube I4 in that direction and that -trouble is reduced one-half by my construction which employs merely the The arm 23 may be secured to the collar II for adequate support by an extension 2I, that passes through a groove, or hole, in the collar II, and by clinching staple-wise at its end, or otherwise be securely restrained from any turning which would shift accidentally the rod-supporting inner end of the arm, 20.

It will be observed that the arm 23 is at the mouth of the bag and thus neither it nor the upper part of the rod I9 interferes with the fold "aftesf1j-tf'ths peilen dass tether-neas and,

therefore, at "a point where the tobacco within the pouch will not obstruct the ready bending or turning of the pouch walls. This also safeguards `the' feeder rod support from lrisk of being bent or pushed out of position which exists Yif it is situated 'where the fold of the bag would result in pressure upon it that might bend it and thus shift the feeder rod Aout of 'proper operative position re-lative to the tube I4. The feeder rod support by its location where it is not exposed to pressure in folding the bag, does 'not require the strength and rigidity Aas when it is exposed to pressure and accordingly, I am able to reduce its strength one-half and to use a wire or rod of small diameter and thus diminish obstruction `to ow of tobacco and reciprocati'on of the tube I4, as just pointed out.

The importance of being able to make an unobstructed fold of the sack adjacent the mouth to place the tube I4 lagainst the side of the bag is that thereby the fold constitutes a perfect cutoff to prevent outflow or escape of tobacco from the bag when in the pocket.

The arm 2D may serve as a stopto the upward or inward movement of the tube I4, by engaging the flange I5, thereof and thus positively prevent any objectionable entrance of the tube end or the funnel I'l, into the pouch beyond the mouth with possible hindrance of or obstruction to the outflow of tobacco.

I have found that the teeth of the rod I9 serve most eiciently when they are in the form of the conventional saw-teeth with downwardly and outwardly inclined edges of considerable slant, and by bending laterally, to project in opposite directions, successive teeth at opposite edges, leaving the intermediate teeth on opposite edges at or in the same plane. f is results in four distinct rows of teeth lengthwise of the rod so that there are a plurality of rows of teeth spaced around the tube which 4engage the mass of tobacco in the tube at regular distances apart angularly of the tube and so that substantially the whole mass of the tube is subjected to the propelling action ofthe teeth. This disposition of the teeth while giving an efficient propelling and packing action upon the tobacco does not result in an objectionable obstruction to the reverse movement of tobacco within the tube back into the bag after' the completion of the making of a cigarette, especially if the tobacco is perfectly dry. However, under moist or damp condition, the tobacco may clog and not readily pass backward in the pouch from the tube, but will remain therein, and to take care of that situation and prevent loss'or waste of the tobacco, I provide for the outer end of the tube a capi or 4closure 22, preferably in the form of a rubber tip, which may readily be slipped over the tube end.v In order to prevent loss of the cap and also to supplement the tube grip to hold it in place, I preferably attach the-reto a rubber lband 23, (see Figs. 2 and 3) which at one point in its length may be attached to the collar II, as shown in Fig. 2, or which as shown in Fig. 3, may be passed around the bag, or pouch, when the tube I4 is turned against the side thereof, and which will thus serve to retain the tube in that position. Where it p-asses around the opposite side of the bag, it may be used to retain, for convenient use, a packet of cigarette papers or wrappers.

When as shown in Fig. 2 my cigarette-making device is applied directly to the storeI package oi tobacco, the. connection may be made by the drawer-string 2E, with which the bag or sack is provided, which confines the edge of the mouth in the annular groove, I2, in the space below the point of attachment of the protector and funnel, I3.

When a special supplemental bag 25, for attachment to the mouth of the store-sold bag as shown in Fig. 3, is provided, or as shown in Fig. l, a foldable neck is provided (which like the supplemental bag 25, is a tube of cloth open at both ends and which is simply considerably shorter than the supplemental bag 25), I provide convenient and efficient means for securing the mouth of the store bag and an open end of the supplemental bag or collapsible neck which may 15 utilize the drawerstrings commonly employed with tobacco bags or sacks. This may conveniently take the form of an elliptical or elongated ring 25, preferably of rubber, having a contour matching the oval or elliptical form, with flattened sides of the tobacco pouch, or sack, and which has, in its external periphery,

an annular channel or channels 2l, to receive the adjacent portions of bag mouth and supplemental bag or collapsible neck end with their drawerstrings, and which are securely held therein by the drawerstrings. This union or joining device of the ring may, of course, be attached to and carried by the supplemental bag or fold- Yable neck as a part thereof so that the completion of the joint or connection involves merely use of the drawerstrings of the original bag or sack. If two annular grooves 27 are used, one can be used for the drawerstrings of one bag end and the other for the drawerstrings of the other bag end.

I have heretofore referred to the formation of the Vpaper wrapper by rolling around the tube I4. This means using a wrapper of sheet form and one which requires sealing the overlapped edges as by moistening glue with the lips. To some persons, for sanitary reasons, this procedure is objectionable, especially when one person makes cigarettes that are smoked by another. To avoid that objection, wrappers already in tubular form but flattened as supplied the user may be employed with my device. In this case to facilitate thrusting the tubular wrapper on the tube I4, the outer end of the latter may be made pointed as by beveling as shown in the drawing. That beveling, however, has other important uses in my device. Thus, after the tubular wrapper has been slipped on the tube I4, by applying the thumb and forenger to the beveled end with the thumb on the beveled side, the portion of the vwrapper lying over the bevel may be squeezed down and thus the preliminary closing of the end of the wrapper to retain tobacco fed therein may be accomplished. Again the pointing or beveling of the end of the tube le is of advantage in adding to the tightness of the connection between the other flanged end of the tube and the small end of the flexible-walled funnel, I'I, for a hole may be provided in such end of the funnel smaller than the diameter of the tube I4 so that when the tube is passed therethrough,

` the hole will be stretched and its edges made snugly to engage the exterior of the tube and further secured by a wrapping of waxed thread. The pointed end of the tube enables the use of this smaller hole. Again in using a cigarette wrapper of sheet form., it is an advantage to pro vvide the tube I-V, with a longitudinal slit, 28, to

receive an `edge o-f the sheet to facilitate rolling of thefsheeton the tube. By starting the slit 28,

at the edge of the hole formed by the bevel furthest inward, it will be seen that the threading of the paper sheet into the slit will be facilitated by resting the edge of the paper upon the exposed bottom portion of the interior of the tube and using that as a support and guide for the movement of the paper into the slit.

It will be understood that a separate rubber band from the band 23, may be used when the parts are in position shown in Fig. 3 to hold the tube I4 from accidental removal from its folded position on the side of the bag of tobacco.

The manner of use of a device embodying my invention will be readily understood from what has been said in the description hereinbefore. With the wrapper applied to the tube either by rolling a sheet thereon or by slipping the more sanitary tubular wrapper thereon, the bag or sack is held so that the tube I4 will hang therefrom in a vertical position to utilize gravity in the feed of tobacco into and through the tube, the lower end of the wrapper being closed to prevent escape of tobacco. The tube I4, is then reciprocated vertically to cause the downward feed of the tobacco under sufiicient pressure or force to pack it to the desired degree in the paper wrapper, the latter being gradually o-r slowly drawn off the tube I4 as the filling and packing proceeds. If desired, the tube I4 may be turned a little on its axis as the feeding proceeds, but if desired the construction may be such as to prevent that turning. If there are any stems in the tobacco, they will be fed with the tobacco into the paper wrapper without danger of thrusting their ends through the paper wrapper and puncturing it. The feeder acts to move them substantially endwise through the wrapper.

While I do not restrict the use of my invention to tobacco suitable for making cigarettes in any particular form or state, yet it is to be noted that a device embodying my invention in what I regard as its most satisfactory form is especially advantageous with granulated tobacco.

If desired, in order to prevent retraction of loose tobacco on the up-stroke of the tube I4, its inner surface may be roughened as by means of small points or teeth |40 that project inwardly and downwardly that would act to clear any tobacco adhering to the teeth of the feeder rod I 9, on the down stroke of the tube would tend to prevent the return of tobacco from the tube into the pouch after making a cigarette, any objection to that would be overcome by the presence of the cap on the outer end of the tube.

Preferably as shown in the drawing, the inner edges of both sets of teeth and |40 are undercut or slanted so that in the case of the feeder rod teeth |90, the tendency is to move the tobacco inward and away from the inner wall of the tube I4 and thereby ease friction thereon, and in the case of the tube teeth |40, the inclination tends to ease the friction on the feed rod.

I have described with particularity certain details of construction in the embodiments of my invention illustrated in the drawing in order to comply with the requirements of the statute as to a full disclosure in the specification. It is to be understood that I do not confine or restrict myself to any particular construction beyond the requirement of the appended claims when properly construed.

What I claim is:

1. A cigarette-making device comprising a t0- bacco guide and means for directing loose tobacco from a container to said guide comprising a smooth surfaced member of an extent reaching a substantial distance at an incline between the side walls of a tobacco container and the receiving end of said guide, a collar of rigid material substantially wholly external of the bag and said member, means connecting both bag and said member and said collar adjacent one end of the collar, said end projecting slightly within the bag and said member, said collar at its outer end being connected with said tobacco guide.

2. A cigarette-making device comprising a tobacco guide and means for directing loose tobacco from a container to said guide comprising a smooth surfaced member of an extent reaching a substantial distance at an incline between the side walls of a tobacco container and the receiving end of said guide, said smooth surfaced member being of flexible material and forming a laterally bendable connection between guide and container.

3. A cigarette-making device comprising a tobacco guide, means for directing loose tobacco from a bag to said guide comprising a smooth surfaced member of an extent reaching a substantial distance at an incline between the side walls of a tobacco container and the receiving end of said guide, la collar extending between said member and said guide having an opening in which the guide is longitudinally reciprocable, and a tobacco feeder extending into such guide and stationarily supported relative thereto, said feeder having on its portion within the tube tobacco-engaging means -to pass tobacco through the tube by the movement of the feeder longitudinally of the tube.

4. A cigarette-making device comprising a loose-tobacco-receiving and guiding tube, means connecting the same with the mouth of a loosetobacco container, and a flexible funnel extending outward from its large end to the tube and connected with the latter at its small end, said tube being movable towards and from said mouth and means to limit movement of the walls of said funnel with the tube in a range substantially external to said mouth.

5. A cigarette-making device comprising a loose-tobacco-receiving and guiding tube, means connecting the same with the mouth of a loosetobacco container, a flexible funnel extending outward from its large end to the tube and connected with the latter at its small end, said tube being movable towards and from said mouth, means to limit movement of the walls of said funnel with the tube in a range substantially external to said mouth, a tobacco feeder extending from the mouth into the tube and a stationary support for said feeder situated substantially at said mouth.

6. A cigarette-making device comprising a loose-tobacco-receiving and guiding tube, means connecting the same with the mouth of a loose-tobacco container, a flexible funnelextending outward from its large end to the tube .and connected taching the collar at one end to the mouth of a tobacco container, a tobacco feeding tube slidably attached to the collar at the other end and extending outward therefrom and a flexiblewalled funnel attached at its small end to said tube and at its large' end to the other end of the collar and situated Within said chamber, said chamber reaching into the collar from the end of the tube attached to the funnel when such tube is at the limit of its outward movement.

8. A cigarette-making device comprising a collar having an internal chamber, means for attaching the collar at one end to the mouth of a tobacco container, a tobacco feeding tube slidably attached to the collar at the other end and extending outward therefrom, a flexible-walled funnel attached at its small end to said tube and at is large end to the other end of the collar and situated within said chamber, said chamber reaching into the collar from the end of the tube attached to the funnel when such tube is at the limit of its outward movement, a tobacco feeder eX- tending into the tube and a stationary support for said feeder comprising an arm situated in said mouth and terminating at said feeder.

9. A cigarette-making device comprising a collar having an internal chamber, means for attaching the collar at one end to the mouth of a tobacco container, a tobacco feeding tube slidably attached to the collar at the other end and extending outward therefrom, a flexible-walled funnel attached at its small end to said tube and at its large end to the other end of the collar and situated within said chamber, said chamber reaching into the collar from the end of the tube attached to the funnel when such tube is at the limit of its outward movement, and a supplemental funnel extending from the mouth end of said collar a substantial distance therefrom.

10. A cigarette-making device comprising loose-tobacco feeding means including a tube, a tobacco pouch, a foldable connection between pouch and feeding means, and a connection between the latter and said pouch comprising a ring-form member, at the junction line, with which both are connected.

11. A cigarettemaking device comprising a tobacco guide and means for directing loose tobacco from a. container to said guide comprising a smooth surfaced member of oblong form and of an extent reaching a substantial distance at an incline between the side walls of a tobacco container and the receiving end of said guide, a collar of rigid material substantially wholly external of the bag and said member, means connecting both bag and said member and said collar adjacent one end of the collar, said end projecting slightly within the bag and said member, said collar at its outer end being connected with said tobacco guide.

12. A cigarette-making device comprising a tobacco feeding tube adapted at one end to receive tobacco from a receptacle and a tobacco feeder extending into the tube, the tube and feeder being relatively movable lengthwise of the tube and both feeder and inner wall of tube having teeth pointing in the direction of the tube outlet.

FRANK T. GRACEY. 

